"There's meetings and training sessions all the time, not only Bibb County, but across the state," said Druitt.

That preparation has them set to deal with situations here, or even in other parts of the state.

"In the case of a Savannah hurricane, where they need to evacuate but it's not affecting us, we're a host jurisdiction and we'll accommodate as much as possible when the governor calls," he said.

The EMA has a list of about 50 shelters in the community that could house a total of at least 26,000 people. He says those locations include churches, schools and community centers like the Macon Centreplex, holding anywhere from 50 to 4,000 people in different sites.

"Ideally, they would have a generator. They would be in spaces that are away from windows in case there were winds and they would be in areas that are not anticipating flooding," said Druitt. He says they also look at whether facilities have on-site kitchens, enough male and female restrooms and whether they're close enough to the people who need it.

He says they would also look at other things like if a school would still be in use or if the site survived a storm without damage when selecting shelters.

"You know we'll try to provide some sort of food and water on a temporary basis while you're there. It's not a hotel; it's something that's temporary, so that we can accommodate those who are in need immediately," said Druitt.

Druitt says in the event of a severe weather situation they would announce plans to open shelters through the media.